The New Kid
by Shuichu-to-Shuichi
Summary: Someone always picks on the new kid in school. This time, they make a bet for 200 dollars to whomever can get into the guy's pants first. But what happens when the game becomes real and money isn't the prize anymore? Warning contains: yaoi, profanity, etc
1. Do I Have To?

-1Story: The New Kid

Hey guys! I finally got a new story done. Excuse me for mistakes, it's like 3:05a.m. right now.

I hope you like this new story. Read and review.

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Somewhere in the back of his mind, Naruto knew today was going to suck. It was the middle of the year, and he was just starting school. It was all thanks to his overly-protective "mother," Iruka, who didn't want to let him go. It's a miracle Kakashi convinced him to even start half way! Now, he was going to have to wake up at 6:30 a.m. every morning and walk over to a huge brick building called "school," where he was going to make "friends" and score "perfect" grades.

In other words…

Naruto would have to wake up at the crack of dawn, walk a mile to a big block of cement filled with people, make up the sleep he missed, and go to summer school. What a joy, right?

"Iruka! Do I have to go? I don't wanna!" Naruto whined from his chair as he collapsed on the table.

"You're the one that said he wanted to go. Now, it took me three hours to slick down your hair, so you are going. No 'buts.' "

"But-"

"I said no 'buts.' You're going, Naruto. Kakashi-san finally talked me into letting you go, so you are going. Now, eat you're vegetables."

"Yuck. If I have to eat those, I won't go to school!" Naruto said before turning to the side in his chair to pout.

"Well then, you can stay and help my little Iruka with the chores, starting with the dishes." someone spoke from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Ah! No, I think you mistaken me! I didn't say school, I said cool!" Naruto said, nodding his head stupidly for reassurance.

"You didn't want to go to cool?" Iruka asked. His dark, chocolate brown eyes glowed with light confusion.

"No, I didn't want to… oh, never mind. I'm going to school! Bye!" Naruto picked up his plate and glass, put them in the sink and headed to the living room to fetch his bag. If he stayed any longer, Naruto knew Kakashi would make him stay and really do the dishes. He hated the dishes. School had nothing against that grime-covered china.

"Have a good day! Tell me all about it when you get home!"

"Fine, fine! See you guys later!"

"Bye." Kakashi and Iruka responded in unison.

They watched from the sidewalk as Naruto took off towards the "big block of cement."

"You think he'll be okay? It is halfway through the year. What if he can't make friends?" Iruka asked.

"Don't worry. High school can't be all that bad. I mean, we turned out okay."

xXBREAK AWAYXx

Naruto turned into the high school gates just as he finished re-spiking up his hair. As soon as he'd turned out of sight of those two, he'd immediately started the needed work on his appearance. Iruka had made him tuck in his button down, white shirt. He took in out. Iruka had turned his tie into a bow. He fixed in back. Iruka had made him take off his necklace because he said it was too easy to get lost. He secretly had hidden it in his pocket before walking out his room. And lastly, Iruka had slicked his hair down. Naruto ran his clumsy tan hands through his hair, knowing it wouldn't be hard for them to believe it came out. His hair was naturally spiky.

Finally, as he opened the door to the building, Naruto felt cool air blow against his face. Looking around, he spotted the front desk to his right. There was a medium height woman at the desk when he walked in. Her short dark brown hair oddly reminded Naruto of a bowl, even though it looked nice on her. As he walked closer, he saw her name tag that read, "SHIZUNE." She noticed Naruto as he walked in and a smile spread upon her face. "Hello," she said, "you must be Naruto Uzumaki."

Her eyes glinted as she saw someone behind Naruto. "Hello, Miss Haruno. You're right on time. This is our newest student, Naruto Uzumaki." She pulled out a sheet of paper from one of the neat, organized stacks on the counter and handed it to Naruto. "This is your schedule, and this here, is Miss Sakura Haruno. She's our vice president for the juniors and will be showing you to your first class."

Naruto looked the girl in from of him. Her hair was the color of bubblegum, bright pink. He made a note to himself not to stare at it too long or his eyes would start hurting. Though, as Naruto looked at himself, he had no room to talk for his bright orange jumpsuit was just as 'loud.'

He looked down at her outfit. She had on a sleeveless, cherry red top and a ruffled emerald green skirt. Her hair was behind her ears, so Naruto could see the silver butterfly earrings she had on clearly. He also looked at her face. It was pretty simple: soft green eyes that matched her skirt and dimples from laughing a lot, which you could tell as she smiled at Naruto.

"Hello! My name is Sakura. It's nice to meet you!"

"Um… I'm Naruto. It's nice to meet you, too."

"Let's get you started with you day, Naruto," she said. "Good bye, Mrs. Shizune."

"Thank you, Sakura, for you help. Have a good day Mr. Uzumaki." the receptionist smiled once more before Naruto turned to follow the walking bubblegum out the door.

Outside the room, Sakura asked for the schedule politely and checked the first class Naruto had. Then, they set off through the halls, Sakura leading, making small talk and what not until finally reaching Naruto's class.

Sakura pointed it out, but made no move towards it. Instead, she waltzed over to a group of lockers beside the door. Naruto realized he still had his bag and remembered his supplies. How would he know what he needed for each class?

"Naruto, may I see that sheet again?"

"Uh, sure," he said before handing it to her again.

She flipped it over and stared at something on the back before moving to the locker next to Naruto and touching the lock. Naruto watched her turn the lock and realized that it was suppose to be his locker. There had been something on the back of the sheet.

The locker barely opened before Naruto began to fill it with his book bag's contents. As he did, Sakura began to speak once again. "For this class, you'll need: a binder with college-ruled paper, a red pen, an erasable black pen, two pencils, and a textbook, which will be issued to you when you go inside."

"Wow, you know all that from memory?"

"It's on paper, silly. Of course I don't know that." She smiled at Naruto's comment before asking, "Would you like me to introduce you to the class, or do you think you've got it from here?"

Naruto thanked her for her help and said, "I think I'm okay, now that I've got everything I need."

The girl smiled again before saying, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I know being the new kid is tough, so I'll help you out if you get stuck."

"Thank you!" Naruto felt a smile begin to creep onto his face. His day hadn't spiraled into darkness yet! Maybe there was still a chance.

As the two went their separate ways and Naruto knocked on the door, he felt himself become more and more confident. But as he actually opened the door, he knew he'd spoken too early.

Twenty-one pairs of eyes shot straight at Naruto as he walked in, all curious. Naruto felt a blush rushing to his face before he had a chance to stop it. "H-hello," Naruto felt his voice crack as he spoke, "my name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Hello, Mr. Uzumaki, we've been expecting you. Class, please stand and introduce you to your new peer," the teacher spoke.

One by one, each student stood and spoke their name and, oddly enough, their favorite color.

Naruto caught the first five of the names, but his mind began to wander as everyone continued.

"Hi, Naruto. My name is Rock Lee, but you can call me Lee. My favorite color is green because it is the color of youth." he raised a hand in a "thumbs-up" position to add his enthusiasm.

"What's up? Name's Kiba Inuzuka. My fave color is off-white cuz it's the color of my dog, Akamaru."

". . . My name is Gaara. My favorite color is…" the boy said. He seemed to be searching for the right words as he finished his sentence. "My favorite color is blood red."

"Good morning, my name is Neji Hyuuga. I think the most divine color is white because it is the color of destiny."

"Hello, my name is Sasuke Uchiha. I am the juniors' president. My favorite color is obsidian."

After everyone finished, the teacher introduced their self. "Hello, I am Mrs. Mitarashi, but many of my students just call me Anko. I'm your Language Arts teacher. Your seat," she pulled out a slip of paper from on top of her desk as she spoke, "is right over there, in between Lee and Uchiha."

The one called Lee waved his hand vigorously at Naruto to show him where he sat. As Naruto moved closer, he noticed something he hadn't really noticed before. Lee was wearing a monstrous green outfit that looked as if it would sprout grass at any second. Around his waist, he wore a red sash-looking piece of cloth. And he wore dark orange leggings over his blue saddles.

As Naruto sat down he thought to himself, '_At least I won't mistake him for anyone else.'_

Naruto felt the people casually stare at him from time to time, checking out everything about him. He knew this would happen all day. Probably all week. Still, he didn't think he'd get use to the feeling he was being watched every second. What about if he went to the bathroom?

Naruto ignored the question and tried his best to ignore the stares, but found it exhausting. Instead, he open new binder and began to doodle on the page. Time quickly began to swim by and Naruto soon found himself at his locker yet again; this time, with the help of his schedule, getting ready for math class. He internally groaned thinking about it. He'd always hated math, whether Kakashi was teaching him or his evil second grade teacher. He knew it wouldn't be any better.

Naruto couldn't have been more right in his life because as he walked in, he saw a man, instantly recognized as the teacher, with long black hair, small snake like eyes, and powdered-white skin.

The first thought that ran through his mind was his true opinion of the man.

_Great. I have a transvestite for a teacher._

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So, how'd you like the chapter? I got the idea when I was at my friend's house. While I was _supposed _to be doing homework, I **ended up** talking about one the new kids at our school. He's really creepy and lewd. Plus, he stares at girls who wear skirts. He doesn't even try to hide it. When people block his view, he moves to get a better look! Gross. I and some guys told him to stop, but he doesn't listen. The girls found out and all wear pants now.

Anyway, I was thinking about Naruto when we started discussing him and got this idea. Don't ask me how. My brain process is weird. Trust me.

Shuichu: You don't know how true that is.

Me: Meanie.

Shuichu: So?

Me: Whatever. Anyway, I figure I should tell you about the next chapter now. Naruto's transvestite teacher is weirder than he lets on about. And, since it's his first day, Naruto doesn't have to participate in P.E. for the day. My, oh my, what are the boys talking about in the locker room?

See you guys later. Read and review. There are new stories coming soon, I promise.


	2. Gender Confusion

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto -random sob-

Warnings: profanity, yaoi, etc.

Story: The New Kid ch. 2

Alright, I went back and fixed the chapter. Hope it's good now. If you spot anything, tell me! It means a lot. Thank you.

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"Sit down, everyone. We have a new student today! Come introduce yourself to the class."

Naruto realized that everyone was watching him now and decided, slowly but surely, to move up to the front of the room where bizarre teacher stood. He couldn't help staring at the man's massive use of makeup… especially around his eyes.

"I am Orochimaru Nagamira, your teacher. You must be our new student. Naruto, right?"

"Umm…yeah. That's my name… um… um… Nagamira-sensei." Naruto said, still eyeballing the teacher who seemed to have moved closer than Naruto remembered walking towards him. He inched farther away from the teacher's side only to be stopped by the teacher's hand on his shoulder.

"Now, now. Don't you want to say something about yourself? Maybe like whether you wear boxers or briefs?"

Naruto was so caught up in trying to escape the teacher's grasp on his shoulder that he didn't process the question before answering. "I wear boxer- Wait?! Why do you need to know that?"

"Hmm-hmm. No reason. Just something to know about you." The teacher pulled his arm tighter around Naruto's neck.

"C-… um… can I sit down now?" Naruto began to inch away from the teacher's arm again. He knew he had to get away from this "teacher" before the guy tried anything.

"Choose wherever you like."

Naruto eased Orochimaru's arm off of his shoulder before turning to look at the classroom.

'_Crap,'_ Naruto thought.

There was only one seat open in the classroom. In between the scary guy he'd seen from his first class, Gaara, and a weird guy with sunglasses and spiky brown hair. They both stared at Naruto as he went to put down his stuff. The one with brown hair spoke to him.

"My name's Shino. The guy next to you is Gaara."

Naruto looked over at the said boy and tried to give him a smile, only to get a cold stare in return. The day couldn't get any worse… or so Naruto thought.

"Okay, Naruto. Since you're new, I still need to find out what level of… experience you have with my subject."

'_God, I hope he's talking about math.' _Naruto thought, trying to slow his rapid heartbeat.

"So, you will be taking a test outside for today's class."

"Um… ok." Naruto suddenly got a picture of a snake in his head as he answered.

Orochimaru reached into his desk and pulled out a thick packet and handed it to a shocked Uzumaki. He looked at Naruto before chuckling out loud, "Don't worry, darling. It's mainly graphs that make it look so big. There's a desk out in the hallway for you to use, Come on back inside once you finish."

As Naruto reached to grab the test, he was stopped by a creepy, pale hand already attached to the test. "My, my! What have you _done_ to your nails?"

Behind him, Naruto heard the class let out a few snickers and even heard a few people groan, "Not this again!"

"W-what about my nails?" he stuttered.

"They're so… dirty! Don't worry, darling. We'll have them fixed up in no time."

Naruto didn't even want to know why the hell the teacher wanted to do his nails, but he didn't plan on sticking around to find out. "I- I have to take the test, remember?"

"No, no. That can wait until after I'm done. You can't seriously plan on waltzing around with those nails."

"Um…"

Before he could come up with another reason to get away from the teacher, Naruto was mercilessly dragged back to the teacher's desk which he'd been trying to scoot away from. Orochimaru rummaged through a filing cabinet with one hand while he held firmly onto Naruto with the other. He looked up and asked, "Girls, would you mind helping me out? His nails look like they haven't seen a file since the day his baby bottom was born."

Immediately, half the girls in the class came rushing towards the teacher, delighted to help. Naruto felt a shiver run down his back as he saw the girls gathering around Nagamira like a flock of sheep to a shepherd. He wanted to say no… to grab the test… and get the **hell out of there**, but he couldn't move. Whether it was out of shock or stupidity, no one knows because at that moment, a hand stopped Orochimaru's ransacking of his desk for a file.

"Excuse me, Nagamira-sensei. I know how much you would like to do Uzumaki-san's nails, but I feel that the test must come first."

"Hmm… I suppose it could wait until tomorrow… and I really do need to know what level of math he's on… alas, Naruto, your nails must wait one more tragic day… here you go."

Orochimaru handed Naruto the paper before sadly returning the file to his bag. "As always, Sasuke, you are always on top of things! Girls… it looks like we'll all have to wait another day."

A few girls sighed but all returned to their desks and the class quieted again.

Naruto let out a sigh relief that the president had stopped Nagamira. He couldn't believe that a teacher would act like that. He stepped outside uneasily and sat at the desk next to the door. Glancing over the pages, he took out his pencil from his pocket, and started problem one.

xX__BREAK AWAY_Xx

Naruto reentered his math room just as the bell rang. He handed his test to the teacher and headed for the door, only to be stopped by Orochimaru's question, "Naruto, what class do you have next?"

"Umm…" he sifted through his pockets until he found the schedule he'd received from the office. "I have… um… P.E."

"Well, is there anyone in here going to P.E. who would like to show Naruto around? I'm sure he would like that."

Naruto watched as three of the remaining people in the room raised their hands. One was the Shino, the really weird guy wearing shades, the other was the president that he so grateful to, and the last… he had no idea, but whoever she was, she was hot.

"Okay… Haku, you and Sasuke can help him out in P.E. and Biology," he said, looking over Naruto's shoulder at the paper in his hands, "and Shino, he has World History after that. You do, too, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, don't be late now. Go to class. I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto, darling."

Naruto winced as he walked out the door, but didn't mind that the girl, Haku, was his guide.

xX__BREAK AWAY_Xx

*Tweet!*

"Everyone, get ready for another youth filled day from yours truly, Guy-sensei!"

"This is so pointless and troublesome. What's the point of P.E. when all it does is make you sweat and stink?"

"But Shika, P.E. is the way of life. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which makes you happy! And Guy-sensei is an excellent master of exercise!"

"Well spoken, Lee! Now, let's begin with today's… and who might you be?"

"Guy-sensei, this is Naruto Uzumaki. He's a new student here. He'll be in P.E. with us." Haku said, standing next to the said boy.

"Well then, congratulations! You are on a bright path to an exercise-filled life!"

"Um… ok…" Naruto stared at the man. He could not believe his eyes. Guy-sensei was wearing the same green "jumpsuit" Lee was. He stared aimlessly at the suit unsure of the relation until a sudden thought hit him.

'_That girl, Haku… she said "us"…. But that would mean she plays with the guys team… and that would mean "she" is a… No… it couldn't be…' _

"And now, let us all go get dressed for our new day!"

Naruto watched as the "girl", walked into the _boys'_ locker room, talking to the energetic boy named Lee.

"As for you, bring some shorts and a loose shirt tomorrow or just something to work out in here. For today, we'll be in this gym playing basketball, but you'll have to sit in the bleachers and watch."

"Um… about that… I have a form from the doctor… I won't be able to participate in P.E. for a while because I accidently hurt myself while helping one of my guardians fix the roof."

"Well, now. That's a very sad thing. I will grieve for you every minute you suffer away from the path of youth!"

"Um… ok." Naruto said as he watched the teacher walk into the boys' locker room, taking the doctor's form with him.

xX__BREAK AWAY_Xx

Inside the locker room, something very interesting was going on.

"Hey, Haku, did you see how that guy was looking at you when you came in here? He must have thought you were a girl."

"Ha-ha. I noticed that, too. Man, I know how he feels. When I first met you, I thought you were a babe!"

"I would say thank you if I knew you weren't serious."

"Ha-ha, you know it. Anyway, what's up with the new guy? Anybody thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Oh, my gosh!" Haku gasped.

"What?"

"Your first thought! We should write this down! 'Kiba Inuzuka Is Proven to Have a Brain.' "

Everyone laughed as Kiba turned bright red. "Oh, shut up. Really you guys, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, yeah. You know we're in Kiba. Who doesn't like messing with the new kid?"

"What's the prank this time?" someone asked.

"How about telling him to try the lasagna in the lunchroom?"

"God, I wouldn't wish that on anybody, not even the new kid."

"Okay, what about sending him in the wrong direction all day?"

"What are we… in fifth grade?" Kiba shouted.

"Hey! I got an idea. When we were in Nagamira's class, he almost freaked out when Nagamira put his arm around him. He kept trying to inch away from him the whole time."

"Ahahaha! No one told him about Nagamira-sensei? I wish I'd been there."

"Anyway, it gave me an idea. It's crazy, but it's a hell of a lot better than sending him in the wrong direction."

"I gotta hear this." Kiba yelled, pulling on a loose white shirt.

"It's a little crazy though."

"Just spill it!"

"Okay, since he's really into the whole personal space thing and freaks about things like Nagamira, why don't we have a bet about something like that? Like who can make him…" the boy stopped. He knew he was wading unknown water. He could be going overboard with this.

"What? Can make him what?"

"What if… we made him… fall in love with… another guy… like.. who can break his 'bubble' first?"

Silence flooded the room. Footsteps approached from the hallway and Guy appeared in the doorway, "It's such a sad thing when we are restricted from what we love." For a moment, no one spoke or acknowledged the gym teacher's presence.

Kiba recovered first. "What are you talking about now, Guy-sensei?"

"The new kid, Naruto, can't play in P.E. for two weeks because he fell off his roof while helping fix it! Poor kid."

"What a shame. I was looking forward to meeting a new opponent!"

"Yes, Lee. What a shame. But I won't let that get you down! Everyone, be outside, fully dressed, in five minutes so that we can start a youthful game of basketball!"

Guy dropped the form off in his office and left the locker rooms, leaving the boys in silence once again.

"So, what do you guys say? You in or what?"

"Let me get this straight….you want us to bet on who can get this guy to fall in _love_ with them… break his heart… risk being labeled as a homosexual for the rest of our life… and all this just as a prank?"

Again, silence filled the room.

"I'm in."

All eyes turned to Haku, whose eyes sparkled with excitement.

"You sure, Haku? This is different from the rest of the pranks we've pulled. It's on a whole different level."

"I _said_ I'm in, but let's make this more interesting. How about whoever plays has to put in fifty bucks. The winner takes all. Deal?"

Two guys stepped forward as one. "We're in, too."

Haku replied, "Okay, it's settled. $150. The winner gets-"

One more hand lifted into the air.

"Okay, two hundred dollars."

"Wait," Kiba said. "We need someone to make this official." He looked over at Shikamaru.

"Oh no, you don't. I'm not gonna be any part of this."

"We need you to set ground rules and make sure everyone pays up."

"You guys are crazy."

"Yeah, but won't you do it for someone who's _saved_ your life? I could have minded my own business, but I didn't! I helped you out."

"That's dirty, Kiba."

A few eyebrows rose at the conversation but no one physically spoke. Shikamaru broke the silence.

"Kiba… Neji… Haku… Sasuke… you guys are all insane. With that settled, let's discuss rules. We've only got…" he said, looking at his watch, "two minutes to ruin someone's life afterall."

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Wahoo. I re-edited. Aren't you proud? Yay!

~Shuichi


	3. Be My Friend?

IMPORTANT!!!! READ THIS!!! The 'next time on blah blab blah' at the end of the second chapter is **wrong. **It is. I am SOOO sorry!

And also, someone pointed out to me that I made some serious mistakes in chapter two... so. I REDID IT! You should reread it to clear any confusion that may arise. With that aside...

Story: The New Kid Chapter 3

Warning: a little profanity… hints of yaoi… and I think that's it for this chapter.

P.S. Sorry for the late updating and the mistakes… had some stuff to take care of, but I'm trying!! I really focused on this chapter. Believe me!

Yours truly, Shuichi~

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DID YOU READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE? YES? **NO**? READ IT!

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"All right! I want twenty push-ups, fifty jumping jacks, and five laps from all of you for today's warm-up!"

The gym echoed with groans as the boys sank to the floor for push-ups… that is… except for Rock Lee. He couldn't be happier. He yelled excitedly and did a back flip before going down to a push-up position. No one bothered looking at him; he did this _every_ day.

"And… Up! Down! Up! Down! All together! Up…" Guy-sensei's voice was loud and clear though he was participating together with the boys. He kept his head angled straight ahead, watching for anyone foolish enough to slack off today.

Naruto stared at the lot from across the gym in the bleachers. He watched the girl/guy person from before that he'd found attractive. Now, though they were far away, he could tell it was a guy for sure now. A blush spread across his face when he thought about it. He remembered that Haku was supposed to escort him to biology after this. His blush deepened, and Naruto brought his knees to his face to hide it. After a few minutes, he lowered his knees and watched as the guys started their laps around the gym.

One guy winked at Naruto and pointed at the boy next to him as he passed. Naruto's eyes widened because the boy he pointed at was Haku.

'_Shit! Do they _all_ know that I thought Haku was a girl?'_

Naruto covered his face again and stayed like that for the rest of the class. When the bell rang, he slipped out of the gym, hoping no one noticed.

Immediately, he realized that he didn't remember how to get to anything in the school.

'_Smart! _Now_ where do you go, stupid!' _Naruto thought. He traced his steps back to the math classroom to ask how to find his next class.

-Knock knock-

"It's unlocked. You can come in," a singsong voice answered from within the room.

Naruto took a deep breath before pushing open the door and inching into the room slowly. He wasn't in a hurry to see Nagamira-sensei after this morning. "Um… Sensei?"

Two amber eyes darted to the door. "Oh… hello, Naruto. Did you forget something?"

Naruto stared at the man for a moment. Was he hearing this right? The sprightly tone of before was gone from Nagamira's voice, replaced by a tone of… irritation? There may have even been some disappointment; Naruto didn't really know.

"Uh… how do I get to the biology room?"

Again the frustration sounded through Orochimaru's words. "Weren't Sasuke and Haku supposed to show you around? I remember asking them."

"Yeah… but they were busy, and I didn't want to bother them."

"They won't mind. Anyway, the biology room is straight across from my classroom. There should be a teacher named Kabuto in there."

"Okay." Naruto felt the cold stare Orochimaru gave him as he started to leave.

"Move it, kid."

Naruto looked up to see a blonde-headed girl glaring at him. He didn't respond to her command but felt like tripping the girl as she coldly walked by him. He knew better than to hit girls in general, but some girls… my god!

Kids were already bustling around outside the classroom, heading for whatever subject they had next. Naruto walked over to his locker and retrieved his proper materials for his next class before actually trying to find the biology room.

A few kids stared at him as he walked passed, probably wondering who he was and why he was decked out in neon orange clothing. Naruto saw a tall and slim figure dash into the boys' restroom as he walked into his own room. He laughed to himself and slid into a seat in the back row of the classroom.

The bell rang just as the teacher walked into the room. "You must be the new kid everyone's talking about. Naruto, right?"

Naruto inwardly groaned at the title 'new kid,' but nodded his head anyway and responded, "Yeah, that's what everyone's saying."

"Well, I hate to say this, but you have to move to another seat, Naruto. That's already someone's seat though he's not here today. How about… oh, that seat over there will do." The teacher smiled and walked past Naruto towards his desk.

Naruto's eye literally twitched as he turned towards the desk the teacher had pointed. It was in the front row… _and_ sitting on either side was Sasuke… and Haku.

"Okay, class! As you all should know by now, we have new student. Naruto, would you please come here?"

Naruto knew he looked pissed off because the teacher scrunched his eyebrows and gave him "get-over-here-or-get-out-of-here look." Naruto eased over to his desk and laid his bag down before he walked over to Kabuto's outstretched arm.

Kabuto slopped his arm over Naruto shoulder before asking, "Alright, Naruto. My name is Kabuto Yakushi. Tell us something about yourself."

God, couldn't these teachers give him a break?

"I don't know… um… I like to sleep."

"Something not obvious, perhaps? How about your favorite color? Or something you like to do?"

"Well," Naruto said as he looked down at his vibrant orange clothes. "I think my favorite color's a little obvious in itself, and sleeping _is_ something you do."

The class snickered and the teacher gestured for Naruto to take his seat, but there were no signs of anger on his face. The teacher actually said, "You know, you wouldn't be too bad on the debate team here."

"No thanks."

"Suit yourself. Anyway, you came on a good day. We're just starting a new chapter and defining terms. So, take out a sheet of paper or two and a pencil… oh, I'll issue your textbook, too."

Yakushi-sensei walked over to a cluster of biology books on a table, picked up the closest one and pulled out a red pen to write something on the first page. "Naruto, you spell your last name like U…Z…U…M…A…K…I, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, sign your name on the line and turn to page 288." He turned to the rest of the class and said, "Don't forget that you need to define all the terms in the chapter, not just the ones on that page. We're learning about classification this week."

"Um… alright."

The class filled with the sound of turning pages and opening backpacks. Naruto opened the textbook and pulled a pencil from his pocket. He didn't plan to do much work, but he had to look the part. He pulled a piece of paper out of the pack in his bag and started the first term: taxonomy.

"Psst!" Naruto looked over to his left to see Haku staring at him, a note in his outstretched hand.

'_Could this day get any worse?'_

"Uh..." Naruto didn't know what would be in the note. He didn't want to know.

"Take it," the boy whispered. He looked at the teacher, but Yakushi-sensei hadn't noticed.

Naruto took the letter and turned back to his desk just as Kabuto looked up to check on his class. He unfolded it as quietly as he could and read the perfectly legible handwriting that looked as if it had been typed on computer:

_Hey. You're Naruto, right? My name is Haku. You're in my math class, too. I know what it's like being the new kid. I was one last year. Want to sit with me at lunch? You seem pretty cool and are doing better than I was when I first moved here. Want to come over my house after school? We can hang out!_

_P.S. I'm a guy._

_-Haku-_

Naruto felt an intense blush slither onto his face and remain there for the rest of the class period. He quickly scrawled a reply back but didn't look at Haku as he passed it.

Haku opened the paper, a smile already on his face.

_Um… yeah, my name is Naruto. Thanks for the invite. Uh… sure, I didn't really know where to sit at lunch anyway. And um… I guess I can come over. I don't think my parents will mind._

_P.S. I figured it out at gym. I didn't mean to offend you; I just… uh… sorry, anyway… um… yeah._

_-Naruto_

Haku smiled at Naruto's turned back. He'd seen the blush spread across Naruto's face like wildfire.

'_This is going to be fun.'_

(Xx BREAKFREE xX)

Two amethyst eyes glared at the smiling figure two seats away. He'd read the note from Haku over Naruto's shoulder and even Naruto's reply. Naruto was planning to go over to Haku's house after school. Sasuke wasn't going to let that happen… not by a long shot.

He scrawled something on a paper and laid it on top of the blond boy's desk. Naruto looked up at the sheet, a tired 'huh?' look in his eyes. He reread the note, the sentence finally registering in his head, and confusion clouded his eyes.

_Meet me after class._

_-Sasuke U._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Okay, so? How is it? I tried to make it up to you. I think I went over this story at least twenty times, and I still don't think it's enough. –scrolls up to check story again–

As you know, I made a bunch of mistakes in the second chapter, but I replaced the story so you can go back and reread it if anything confuses you. I know the updates are slow. Bear with me for a little while. The only time I have is like at 1:00-2:00a.m.

Shuichu: Hey? Why haven't I got a say in this whole chapter?"

Shuichi: Oh look, you just did! Goodbye everyone!


	4. Let the Games Begin

YAY! I updated, right? WRONG…

….

Just kidding; I swear. Lol.

So, here we go…

Story: The New Kid

Chapter 4: Let the Games Begin!

Warnings: Idk… randomness… yaoi… that's not really a warning… um… other stuff!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The bell sounded and the halls filled with yells and shuffling feet. Naruto stared up at the captivating eyes of the class president, hoping the fear in his own wasn't visible. He thought about going home today… and Kakashi killing him… no… no, he wouldn't let Naruto off that easy. He'd only make Naruto _wish_ he was dead.

Sasuke broke into Naruto's thoughts. "Don't worry. You're not in trouble. I'm just going through regulations, here. It's the school's policy for the class presidents to greet all new students."

Naruto paused and let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't even thought of that. He'd assumed he was in trouble again somehow. Maybe that wasn't a good thing…

"So, my name is Sasuke Uchiha. I'm the Juniors' Class President. It's nice to meet you, Naruto. How do you like the school so far?"

"Uh… it's fine, I guess. This guy, Haku, invited me over after school. I'm kinda glad to make a friend so fast." Naruto heard the relief in his own words as he realized how true they were… He actually had made a friend without getting into trouble… or acting like a complete fool… this was a record for him!

"Oh, yes…. Haku… He's a _charming, little boy_, isn't he?"

"D-did I say something wrong?"

"Hmm? Why would you think that?"

"Well, you're face scrunched up and one of your eyes twitched." Naruto felt like taking a few steps back for a second.

Sasuke looked away to hide the embarrassment on his face. He couldn't believe he let his emotions get the better of him! He cleared his throat. "Don't worry. You said nothing wrong. In fact, did you see which way Haku went? He and I have a little _game _going on."

"I saw him head down the hall, but I'm not sure where… new school and all, you know?"

Sasuke laughed and answered, "If you want, I can show you around the rest of the day. How about that?"

"That'd- that'd be awesome... but you don't like… _have_… to do it… like if you're only asking because of your job as president, then you should know, I'm pretty tough! I can find my way around on my own."

"Ha-ha. Don't worry. I'm asking because I want to."

"Oh, okay then…. Well… where is the lunchroom?"

"Come on. I'll show you." Sasuke grinned back at the door behind him, almost as if he'd known someone was hiding there, listening to their conversation.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The brown-haired boy came out from his hiding place behind the door.

'_Fine, if that's how you want it, Sasuke… Haku… then, let the games begin. That two hundred dollars is mine!'_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Hey, Sasuke… Naruto, we're over here!"

Naruto walked alongside Sasuke, their trays bearing… who knows what food it's supposed to be. Naruto smiled at Haku as he set his tray. "Uh… hey!"

"Go ahead. Sit down. I'll introduce you to everyone!"

"Ok." Naruto looked up at the people also seated at his small, round table. There were five other guys besides Haku and Sasuke.

"This is Shino… he's kind of a silent guy, but trust me. If you need help with any type of homework, especially biology, he's your guy." Haku said, pointing to a pale figure looking somewhere else through dark sunglasses.

"Oh, this is Gaara. He may seem scary at first, but actually, he's one of the nicest guys here… as long as you don't wake him when he's sleeping."

The boy Haku spoke of had wild locks of blood red hair and sea green eyes, but what intrigued Naruto the most was the Japanese character imprinted on the left side of the boy's forehead in red lettering.

"To my left are Shikamaru and Lee… complete opposites. Lee loves working out and doing anything that gets physical, but Shikamaru hates it all. If anything you hear from him, it'll be him calling something 'troublesome' or 'pointless.'"

The table laughed as Lee waved to over to Naruto, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Naruto smiled in return and turned back to Haku just as the boy began to speak again.

"And we can't forget Neji and Kiba. We wouldn't trade them for _two hundred dollars_. They complete this little _game_."

Naruto could have sworn he heard someone kick Haku under the table, but if they had, Haku certainly didn't show it. He kept on rambling about other people at different tables, but Naruto turned back to his lunch, again pondering what exactly was on his plastic tray.

"So, what classes do you have next, Naruto?"

Naruto looked up at Sasuke just as the dark-haired boy took a gulp of his red Gatorade.

"I think I have World History and…" Naruto pulled out his schedule from his pocket. "And I have French. That's all."

"Really? I have French last period, too. Shika and Neji have World History, but Shika's in French with me, too."

"Oh, cool. I'll see you guys there."

"Hey, Naruto, what are you doing after school? Wanna hang out?"

"Well, actually… um… Kiba… Haku invited me over today."

"Oh, he did, did he? That was awfully _nice_ of him."

Naruto didn't get a chance to respond to the curious statement before the bell rang. Everyone was already clearing their trays before he'd even realized he hadn't touched his food.

"Naruto! Come on. I'll take you to your next class just like I promised."

Naruto caught up to Sasuke, and they exited the lunchroom, heading up the stairs to the eleventh grade hallway.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Good morning, class. Today, we're starting section 5.3, 'The Industrial Revolution in America.' Oh, you must be Naruto. Welcome to World History 11-6. I'm your teacher, Jiraiya. Now, you've come somewhat in the middle of our chapter, but I expect you to catch up with the help of a few friendly peers willing to lend you their notes…?"

One hand flew up before Jiraiya had finished his question.

"Ah, Neji Hyuuga…. Always a good sport. You remind me of myself as a child… handsome… friendly… and cool."

A few people laughed at the last part of Jiraiya's statement.

"Alright, Naruto. You copy those notes from Neji, and the rest of the class will start the 5.3 worksheet that Miss Haruno is passing out."

Naruto smiled as Sakura passed him, handing sheets to the people behind him. She winked back just before Naruto started the work before him.

The class was silent with the exception of the sound of scratching pencils for the rest of the period and the consistent flip of pages from a suspicious magazine Jiraiya at his desk.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Bonjour! Je m'appelle Madame Tsunade. Comment t'appelles-tu?"

"Uh… What?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded by the tall blonde woman's question. How the heck was he supposed to know what she was saying?

"Je…" the woman said, pointing to herself. "Je m'appelle Madame Tsunade."

"Oh! Your name! Ok… I get that… Hi, Madame…"

"En français." (In French.)

"Um… Bonjour… Madame Tsunade?"

"Bon, Monsieur… tu t'appelles Naruto, oui?" (Good, Mr.… your name is Naruto, yes?)

"Uh… Oui?

"Salut, Monsieur Naruto. Bienvenue dans ma classe de français!" The woman said. Naruto looked at her in confusion again. He had a feeling French wasn't going to be easy for him. (Hello, Naruto. Welcome to my French class.)

"Ok…" Naruto realized for the first time that the bell had already rang, and every set of eyes stared at him from their desk.

"Monsieur Naruto… aujourd'hui, asseyez-vous à coté de Monsieur Shikamaru. Il pourra vous aider avec votre travail."

Naruto knew the teacher was saying something important… he just couldn't figure out what.

"She said come sit next to me, and if you need anything, I can help you."

"Shika! Parlez toujours en français." (Shika! Always speak French.)

"Je suis désolé, Madame." (I'm sorry, Madam.)

"Ok! Nous passons un examen aujourd'hui, n'est-ce pas? Chapitre quatre?" (Ok. We're taking a test today, yes? Chapter four?)

The class groaned as Tsunade pulled a stack of tests from her under the ominous pile on her desk. She passed them out to everyone other than Naruto and each student began their 'examen.'

"Bonne chance tout le monde. Monsieur Naruto, venez ici, s'il vous plait." (Good luck, everyone. Naruto, come here, please.)

Naruto looked up as the teacher beckoned him out the door. Just as he began to wonder how he was going to understand anything she said, Naruto saw someone wave at him from the corner of his eye. When he looked over, Sasuke nodded his head and smiled. Naruto waved back and headed out the door.

This time, the teacher spoke in English.

"Hello, Naruto. As I was saying, my name is Madame Tsunade. I'll be your French teacher. You came at the end of our fourth chapter. I'm sure Monsieur Shikamaru won't mind helping you catch up with the work. So… Oh! I'm not sure if you know, but Mardi Gras is tomorrow. We're going to have some music and learn about some of the Mardi Gras events in Nice and Québec. We'll be decorating masks, too. Also, two students, Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga, have offered to bring the King cakes. Don't worry; you'll love it!"

"Uh… that sounds cool."

"Alright, you can go back inside, but sit quietly, okay? I like testing areas nice and quiet so people can concentrate."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Non, non, non! En français, Monsieur."

"Oh, okay…. Oui, Madame Tsunade."

"I promise you'll enjoy this class." The woman smiled and Naruto couldn't but smile back.

"I believe you."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Wahoo! I updated a lot sooner, huh? Yeah, I thought so. So, review… PLEASE? And I just want to thank my French teacher real quick for her help… though I'm not sure she knew what she was helping with…lol. I tried to get this up yesterday… the day before Mardi Gras, but the editing took a while… oh well.

Okay, my thanks go out to Dame Loli for her corrections on my French. Thank you very, very, very, very, very much!

Yours truly,

~Shuichi Sumiyoshi~


	5. Hangin' Out

Yawn… sleepy.

Story: The New Kid

Chapter 5: Hangin' Out

Warnings: stuff…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Are you still coming to my house after school, Naruto?"

"Sure."

"Of course, but just a heads up: some of the guys from lunch are coming over. We decided to hang out together today. Is that okay with you?"

"Cool!" Naruto said. He hoped Shikamaru was going. He didn't understand French at all.

"Alright, come on. I'll bring the car around."

"You drive?"

"Yup. Got my license last year."

"Cool."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto couldn't help staring. He'd never seen so many big houses before. There were like mansions. Haku lived in one of these? He must be rich!

"You getting out, Naruto?"

The boy looked up. He hadn't even noticed the car had stopped.

"Uh… yeah."

Neji smiled and reached out a hand to him. No one else was around.

"These houses are huge!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, they got me at first, too. You'll get used to them soon."

Neji led him into the main hall. Everyone else was already up in Haku's room, talking in whispers.

"Do you think it was smart to let Neji stay with him?" Kiba asked.

"Relax. Neji's won't try anything this soon. Besides, we shouldn't be talking about the game right now. Naruto could overhear."

"Whatever, Sasuke. I still think–"

"Hey, guys. We're here."

Neji opened the door for Naruto and both walked into the room. The conversation immediately stopped.

"Yeah, we're here. So… what are we going to do?"

"Well, I was just saying how you look like you could kick Kiba's ass in some video games. What do you think?"

"Sure! …oh, wait. I have to do my homework first. I was hoping Shikamaru could help me because I don't understand any of my French homework."

"I could—" Sasuke began.

Shikamaru stood up and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"D'accord. Venez avec moi."

"What?"

"Come with me. We can't work in this environment," Shikamaru said, gesturing to the beanbag chairs, bed, and TV. "Haku, we'll be downstairs in the living room."

"Uh… ok," he responded.

As soon as the door closed, Haku swore.

"I knew he was up to something. Shika isn't going to make this easy for us."

"Whatever. He can't tell Naruto about the game. That was one of his rules anyway. Let's just play some games. I show _you_ who's gonna kick some ass."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto gawked up at the living room. It was enormous. He couldn't touch the ceiling even with his ten foot ladder at home.

"So, what'd you want help with, Naruto?"

"Huh? Oh, French! Um… all of it?"

Shikamaru sighed and sat down on the couch. He patted the seat next to him and Naruto sat down, too. Both boys pulled out their French binders and pencils.

"Alright, what'd Tsunade give you for homework?"

"Well, she said she wanted me to know the basics so she gave this chapter one sheet and uh… this," he said, pulling out a review worksheet.

"Alright, I guess we should start with the basics."

Shikamaru waved to Naruto.

"Salut," he said.

"Oh, does that mean hello?"

"Oui."

Shikamaru got up and walked towards the main hall.

"Au revoir."

He waved again and pretended to walk out the door.

When he came back, Naruto asked, "Does that mean goodbye?"

"Bien... euh… comment ça va?"

"Uh… what?"

"Comment ça va? Bien ou mal?"

Shikamaru made a thumbs up sign when he said 'bien' and a thumbs down when he said 'mal'.

"Tu means you, right? Um… are you asking how I am?"

"Oui."

"Oh, okay. Uh… bien?"

"Good."

Shikamaru looked his watch. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be as short as he thought.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"What do you think is taking them so long?"

"Who knows? It's Shika we're talking about."

"Well, I'm tired of video games. Wanna go spy on them?"

Kiba was already halfway to the door. He didn't need to be asked twice.

"Get back here, stupid. The last thing we need is Naruto getting suspicious."

"Oh, come on. I'll be really quiet."

Neji laughed.

"You? Quiet? How long do you think we've known you, Kiba?"

Kiba growled but sunk back onto his red beanbag chair. He picked up the game controller but Haku and he started a new game.

They sat in silence, hoping to hear something from downstairs.

"Why's it so quiet in here?"

Shika stood in the doorway, Naruto behind him. He held the door open for Naruto before sliding onto the bed next to Sasuke.

"Took you long— …I mean… welcome back," Kiba said.

Shikamaru mouthed something to him, but no one seemed to notice.

"Uh… I have to get home, guys."

Haku looked up.

"Really? It's only five."

"Yeah, but I have a bunch of stuff I have to do at home, and my guardians don't know that I'm even here."

"Guardians? You mean parents?"

Naruto looked away.

"… No. My parents… died a while back. The people taking care of me were close friends of theirs."

"Oh, my God. I'm sorry. I-I didn't know."

"It's fine. Don't worry. But I've gotta go now."

"Sure thing. I'll take you!" Haku yelled, standing.

He fished around in his pockets for his keys.

"No, I got it, Haku."

The boys looked at Shikamaru. He held the keys in his hand and slipped them into his pocket.

"I did my homework with Naruto downstairs. You guys should start on yours. I'll take him."

"...Keeping him all to yourself, Shika. We guys will get lonely without our new friend."

Sasuke smirked as Shikamaru hurriedly pulled Naruto out the door. Haku threw a pillow at Sasuke just as the door clicked.

"Are you nuts, Sasuke?" he whispered.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Shikamaru sat in the driver's seat and cranked up the car. As he pulled out of the driveway, he mumbled something under his breath about troublesome idiots.

"What?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru looked up at him.

"Uh… I was… what kind of music do you like?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Meh… still sleepy… did you like the update? Then review! Lol. It took me forever to catch up.

But I plan to update fast this summer… hopefully.


	6. School

Mwahaha…. I have a week off. Who's ready for some updates???

* * *

"_So_, how'd it go?" Iruka asked excitedly. He leaned over the table, staring at Naruto intensely.

"Huh?" Naruto asked blankly. He scooted his chair back slightly when Iruka leaned closer.

"School! First day, remember? How did it go? You weren't too far behind, were you?"

"Well… it was really fast-paced, but I think I can catch — "

"Who was that guy who gave you a ride back? Is he a new friend? What's his name? Is he a good student?"

"Uh… yeah. I met him today. His name's Shikamaru. He gave me a ride back from Haku's house, and he helped me with my homewo—"

"House?" Iruka exclaimed, "You're already going over to other people's _houses_? My, I never knew you were such a charmer!"

"…you're making me sound like a playboy."

Iruka's soft laughter rang throughout the kitchen. His smile grew impossibly bright as he tugged on the collar of his turtleneck sweater. But he quickly shot off another round of questions.

"So what were the classes like? Were you late? Did you like your teachers?"

"They were fine. I wasn't late either because this guy, Sasuke— he's the juniors' class president— he helped me get to all my classes."

"Really? That was nice of him. Is he one of your friends, too? And what about the person whose house you went to? And why isn't your hair slicked down like I had it this morning? That took a lot of—"

"Iruka!"

"Hmm?"

"One question at a time, please!"

"Oh… I'm sorry. I'm just so excited! You've never gone to school before. I thought you might hate it. I'm so glad Kakashi convinced me to enroll you!"

"About that. You were so set against it last week… How'd he get you to change your mind?"

Iruka gazed at the ceiling.

"…I might have… ahem… lost a bet..."

"What? You made a bet about whether I could go to school or not?"

"Well, you make is sound so bad! And it's not like I expected him to win!"

Naruto stared at him, flabbergasted. Iruka had seriously bet on whether he could attend school or not.

"What did you bet on?" he asked.

"…who could tie a cherry stem faster with his tongue…"

Naruto shook his head, playfully. Iruka really thought he could have one that challenge.

"Are you bothering my little cutie, Naruto?"

Naruto laughed, "Speak of the devil, huh?"

Kakashi stepped into the kitchen, pulling up a seat next to Iruka. His silver hair danced under the kitchen light as he spoke.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have some chores to be doing, Naruto?"

"Ow," Naruto cried dramatically, grabbing his left arm, "the pain! Oh, the pain!"

"Really now? I thought you hurt your _right_ arm, Naruto."

"…a-ha-ha… well, you see… it flares up in both arms…yeah, it's that bad."

"Well, how about you flare up and do your chores or I tell the school there's no need for your doctor's excuse for gym?"

"Suddenly, the pain's gone. It's a miracle. I guess I better start those chores!" Naruto exclaimed. He rushed down the hall, leaving the two men alone at the table.

Kakashi spoke first, nudging Iruka lightly.

"So how was his first day?"

"Well, he just came back from one of his new friend's houses."

"He's already going over to someone's house? Maybe he really _is_ going to be a playboy."

Both men stared at Naruto as he carried away a pile of laundry. A thud came from somewhere down the hallway followed by swears, and the two both laughed.

"No, I take that back. It looks like _Naruto's_ going to be the one falling in love."

* * *

"Hey, is Naruto here yet?"

"If you ask us one more time, I'm going to throw you out the window."

"Oh, wow. You're going to throw me out of a first story window. I'm so scared," Kiba mocked. He ducked when Neji swung at him, playfully jabbing the boy in the side.

Sasuke ducked behind both boys as they continued fighting. He leaned his head against the cool window as the three waited for Naruto to arrive.

Their desks were pushed up against the wall, just under the window, and they sat on top of their desks. When a blur of blond hair darted through the door, Neji and Kiba jumped up, ready to drag Naruto to their spot.

Except someone beat them to it.

"Naruto!" Lee yelled, waving the boy over to his seat.

"Hi… uh, Lee, right?"

"Yes!"

Lee's voice dropped after that, and the boys could no longer hear what they were saying.

Kiba sat back on top of his desk, swinging his legs dangerously close to Neji. The boy glared back but kept his eyes on Naruto.

"You don't think Lee's taking Shika's side, do you?"

Almost as if the he had heard them, Lee twirled around and stuck out his tongue at the three boys, turning back before Naruto noticed. Gaara, sitting across from Lee, cracked a faint smile, also returning to the conversation before Naruto noticed.

"Does that answer your question?"

Before Neji could respond, Mrs. Mitarashi walked into the room, a handful of paper in hand.

"Okay, everybody, I've got a lot of work to catch up with_… so just _for today, we're having a study period. And don't make me regret saying this, but you can sit wherever you want," Mrs. Mitarashi bellowed from her desk, reaching for the top paper of the pile building on her desk.

Immediately, students were clamoring to sit next to their friends. Sasuke headed straight towards Naruto only to be blocked off by a rush of girls.

He smiled politely but walked back to the window, sure they wouldn't try to approach the three boys at once. The girls sighed disappointedly and separated into their own little groups.

"You know… I never noticed, but I really _hate_ your fan girls. If you weren't nice to them all the time, this kind of stuff," Kiba whispered, pulling his backpack from off the floor. He unzipped it and heaved out his history textbook, remembering that he'd never done his homework for that class.

"You know I can't be mean since I'm the grade president. Besides, you don't even know the half of it," Sasuke grumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"…Do you remember last year when that girl handed me some papers and ran off?"

"Yeah… you never told us what it was."

"It was a story she found on the internet on this site where you can write stories about whatever you want. It used my first name, and the character sounded just like me."

"So? Was it some fantasy of you and some girl?"

"The other character wasn't a girl."

Sasuke swore silently when he heard Kiba laugh behind him. The boy snickered loudly and attempted to cover his mouth.

"It's not funny. She was asking me if I was gay!"

Neji had joined in by now, holding onto Kiba's shoulder for support. The boys laughed until their eyes watered, attracting a stern look from the teacher. They tried to stifle their giggles but failed miserably, only managing to laugh harder.

"Seriously, it's not funny!" Sasuke whispered.

Kiba slapped him on the back. He whispered between gasps for air, avoiding Mrs. Mitarashi's glare.

"Sasuke, man…. Look at what… we're doing now!"

Sasuke looked over at Naruto, catching the boy watching them from across the room. He felt a smile creep onto his face as he realized how ironic their situation really was. When Lee began glaring at him, his smile widened, and all three boys broke down into giggle fits.

"For Pete's sake! Shut up over there, boys! You're acting like seven-year-olds who just found out what porn is!"

The whole class went into an uproar.

"Okay, you've had your spontaneous laugh of the day, now cram it. I'm sure some of you haven't done your homework for the next class, have you?"

Most of the laughter died down, but the boys didn't seem to notice. They were all smirking to themselves, each watching Naruto from the corner of his eye.

* * *

"Are they always like that, Lee?"

The black-haired boy glanced at the laughing boys for the fifteenth time.

"Unfortunately… yes."

"Why unfortunately?"

"…Forget it," Lee said, glancing at the clock. "So, are you taking the test tomorrow?"

Naruto tilted his head slightly, unsure of what Lee was talking about.

"Tomorrow, we're taking a test on some grammar rules? I'm guessing you'll take it later?"

"Um… I didn't even know about it. I'll go ask her."

Naruto stood up, unaware of the three pairs of eyes following him as he crossed the room. Mrs. Mitarashi glanced up quickly, scratching something down on her paper before looking up again.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Uh… I heard there was a test tomorrow and…"

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that. You can take it next week. Tomorrow, I can work with you on learning the rules okay? We'll start with reviewing nominative pronouns, okay?"

"Like she, I, we, and they?"

"Exactly, we'll review those tomorrow, and I'll see how much of the work we can catch up with."

"Thank you," he responded before walking back to his seat. When he sat down, he felt a familiar feeling fall over him.

When the bell finally rang, Naruto darted out of the room. Lee followed, aware of the three pairs of eyes following him. He glanced back, shaking his head at them before walking toward his locker.

Naruto shuffled through the crowd, avoiding the curious stares of students still trying to figure out who he was. He messed up his locker combination twice but finally got it the third time. Sasuke leaned against the adjacent locker just as Naruto closed his own.

"Hey, Naruto! Want me to protect you from Nagamira-sensei again?"

The first thought that came to Naruto's mind was when he'd went to Nagamira's class after gym.

"Yeah…"

Sasuke didn't seem to notice Naruto's distant answer as he greeted an oncoming group of girls.

"Hi, Sasuke," they giggled in unison.

"Good morning, ladies." he responded, waving.

When he turned back to continue talking, Naruto was gone. Sasuke stopped walking, searching for any sign of where Naruto had disappeared.

Sasuke gave up and walked into the classroom, noticing the empty seat next to Gaara.

"Is Naruto absent today?" Nagamira asked from across the room.

Sasuke shrugged before taking his seat. He glanced at the empty desk, deciding to track down Naruto after class.

* * *

Naruto turned up the last flight of stairs and opened the door to the roof. He felt the morning breeze greet him as it ruffled through his hair. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. After years of homeschooling, he wasn't used to the crowded hallways and hundreds of eyes staring at him. It was nice to get away from all of it.

He walked around for a bit, spotting some stairs that led to the second level. Making sure people on the first floor wouldn't be able to see him, Naruto sat down and slipped his legs through the railing. After a few minutes, he was sound asleep.

The three o'clock bell rang, and still Naruto didn't wake up. His cell phone began ringing at three-thirty, finally waking the blond boy.

He fumbled with the buttons, barely managing to push '_talk_.'

"Hello?" he mumbled groggily.

"Naruto? Are you okay?"

"Iruka? Why are you calling me at school?"

"School's been over for a while, Naruto. It's 3:30. The school called and said you went missing after your first class. Is everything okay?"

Naruto yawned lazily, "Ya, ebitin ih hine. i musta feh ahseep…."

"What?"

"Sorry, I was yawning. I said everything's fine. I guess I fell asleep for too long."

Naruto, this isn't going to be a reoccurring habit is it? It was fine when Kakashi was teaching because you could pick up the lesson later, but at school, if you miss it, you just miss it."

"I know. I'll do better. I was just overwhelmed by all the people."

"Hmm… well, I'll see you at home in a few, then?"

"Yeah."

Naruto ended the call and stood up, stretching his arms into the air. As he headed back down the stairs, he heard people talking in the hallway. He was about to continue walking until he heard something peculiar.

"We're going to have to do something about Lee and Kiba. At this rate, no one will win the bet."

The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"No, I think we should leave it, but we should up the prize."

"I'm for that. How much?"

"How about $6…"

The group was too far out of reach for Naruto to hear the rest, but he definitely recognized one of the voices.

Maybe he would ask Haku what kind of bet was going on tomorrow. It sounded fun.

* * *

Um… so there's my update? Lol, review please!


	7. Manipulation

Don't kill me! I finally updated!

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'_Day three…_' Naruto thought, leaning over the railing and staring down at the people entering the building. He easily spotted a bright green jumpsuit and bubblegum pink hair within the crowd. Then blood red hair… blue hair, black hair, blonde hair, silver hair…

He sighed.

So many people.

"I guess there's one thing I miss about homeschooling already," he muttered.

"And what's that?" a voice asked from behind him.

Naruto spun around and found Kiba leaning against the door to the roof.

He never even heard him open it…

"Uh..." Naruto began as Kiba walked over. "The quiet. There are just a lot of people here. I'm not used to it."

"Oh." Kiba said. "I guess it is a big change. So many new faces, sensations… It must be overwhelming sometimes. No wonder you came up here."

Kiba walked over and leaned against the railing looking out over the school with him.

His dark brown hair ruffled in the wind, and his honey brown irises seemed to capture everything. Kiba was wearing dark cargo pants and a black hoodie. There was a small bulge in his pocket that Naruto guessed was a cellphone and when Kiba shifted slightly, Naruto heard the faint sound of keys in one of his pockets.

"..ruto? Hey, Naruto! You okay?"

Naruto looked up only to jump back. Kiba was close enough to him that Naruto could feel hot breath on his neck. His reflexes got the best of him and his arms swung out, hitting Kiba square in the stomach.

Kiba groaned and fell forward… right onto Naruto, pinning him to the roof's railing.

"What'd… you do that for?" he asked, his breath tickling Naruto's ear. "That wasn't nice."

Naruto felt uneasy. He tried to push Kiba off of him but the dark haired boy had a strong grip on the railing.

"Hey… uh, Kiba, can you move? I'm sorry about hitting you. You just surprised me…"

Kiba didn't reply. He sniffed Naruto and said, "You smell good."

Naruto tried to push him off again.

'_Is this what they call bullying? I have to ask Kakashi about it when I get home_,' he wondered as he unsuccessfully tried again.

"Kiba, come on. I'm pretty sure class has started by now! It's my third day. I shouldn't be-"

Naruto cut himself off when he felt a warm tongue slide down his neck.

"What the hell? Kiba, what are you-…ah… stop it, Kiba." He yelled, trying his hardest to push Kiba off again.

"Just hold on…" Kiba whispered.

Naruto felt teeth scrape against his skin. He winced at the slight pain but gave up on trying to push Kiba away.

After a second, the boys heard the tardy bell ring below them throughout the building. Kiba pulled back and smirked at him. Naruto rubbed his sleeve on his neck, wiping off the saliva Kiba had left.

"What the hell, man?" he yelled. Before Kiba could react, Naruto kneed him in the stomach and ran to the door.

Kiba watched him leave. He knew Naruto would walk into first period late. Everyone's eyes would be on the new kid.

Yeah…the new kid with disheveled clothes and a fresh hickey.

Besides, his body had been pressed against Naruto's. He knew what he'd felt. Naruto liked guys, even if he was mad.

This bet was gonna be so easy.

xXBREAKAWAYXx

"Are Inuzaki and Uzumaki absent? Did anyone see either of them before school star-" Mitarashi-sensei began, cut off by a knock on the door.

"Come in," she yelled.

The wooden door opened slowly and Naruto walked in.

"I'm really sorry! I got lost on the way here, Mrs. Mitarashi."

"Call me Anko, Naruto. It's fine. Take your seat. You didn't happen to see Kiba on the way here, did you?"

Naruto flinched slightly at Kiba's name and shook his head.

"No… I haven't seen anyone else in the halls."

He took his seat and stared at his desk as Anko passed out test papers. His neighbor, Rock Lee, nudge him and nodded, his eyes asking what was wrong.

Naruto turned towards him in the desk, and Lee's eyes widened immediately.

"Who…?" he began until the teacher glared at him.

"Test papers are out, Lee. You know the rules. No talking. As for you, Naruto, bring your textbook outside and we'll review what you know so far."

Naruto stood up, his movements feeling awkward and unnatural as he continued to question why Kiba had left that bruise on his neck.

He heard a sharp inhale to his left and turned to see Sasuke and Neji staring at his neck. They looked over at Kiba's empty seat and back at Naruto's neck. Guess this was normal behavior for Kiba if they knew it was him just like that.

'_Well, shit… looks like lunch is gonna be awkward. Sorry, Iruka. I think I'm going to skip again._'

Naruto headed out of the room with Anko, wondering where to blow his time during lunch now.

xXBREAKAWAYXx

Sasuke looked at the clock. It was finally seventh period. Five minutes left in the class.

He glanced over at Naruto. The blonde's eyes were glazed over, and Sasuke was pretty sure Naruto didn't hear a single word the teacher said.

His eyes found the hickey on Naruto's neck.

He was going to kill Kiba.

Naruto didn't show up at lunch. He disappeared right after Biology. And Kiba hadn't shown up all day.

But he saw Naruto flinch when Mitarashi said Kiba's name.

"D'accord. Tout le monde, finissez les exercises sur pg. 89-92 pour les devoirs. Et… Naruto, j'ai besoin de parler avec toi maintenant. Viens avec moi."

Naruto looked up, startled by the mention of his name. He looked around for someone to explain and his eyes found Sasuke's.

Sasuke gestured for him to follow the teacher outside and Naruto nodded. He got up and went into the hallway with Madame Tsunade, closing the door behind him.

Sasuke found Shika's eyes across the classroom. Both boys nodded and packed up their bags.

xXBREAKAWAYXx

"Naruto, where were you yesterday for my class? Or for six of your classes for that matter? We heard you disappeared after first period yesterday. This isn't a good first impression of you," Mme. Tsunade began.

"I'm really sorry about that, Madame Tsunade. I got really overwhelmed by all the people and went to the roof to breathe… and… I kinda fell asleep. I was up there until about 3:30. I promise I'll make up the work I missed though."

Tsunade chuckled. "At least you weren't _trying_ to play hooky. All right. But don't make missing my class a habit, Naruto. You may be new, but I will gladly fail you for not trying in my class."

Naruto bowed slightly, just as the bell rang. He shyly headed back into the room to grab his stuff, finding Shika and Sasuke waiting patiently by his desk.

"Naruto, Shika and I can help you catch up with the work from yesterday. We can work at my house?"

Naruto hesitated, wondering if he should just go home after the day he'd had.

"Um… are all the guys from lunch gonna be there like last time?"

Shika and Sasuke shared a glance.

"Nah, I think it's fine with just us three. We can actually get work done instead of playing video games this time."

Naruto thought about trying to explain this morning to Iruka and decided to deal with it later.

"Fine with me then," he said, leaving the classroom with the two boys.

xXBREAKAWAYXx

When Sasuke's chauffeur opened the door for Naruto— oh yeah, the dude had a chauffeur— Naruto realized Sasuke had asked him the wrong question.

What he had said was, "Do you want to come over and study at my house?"

What he meant was, "Do you want to come over and study at my freakin' castle complete with a set of servants and twenty gardens?"

The chauffeur took their bags and carried them into the house as Naruto, Shika, and Sasuke walked leisurely up the front steps into the gigantic Uchiha mansion.

Naruto followed Sasuke up to his room, which could easily have fit Naruto's house into it. Sasuke's "room" was more like four rooms, complete with his own bathroom, study room, bedroom and gaming room.

The three boys sat down, Naruto in the middle, around a round mahogany table where their backpacks were already waiting.

"Wanna start with French or English?" Sasuke asked from his right.

"Uh… I guess French since it's still fresh on my mind… kinda." Naruto answered.

Shika spoke first.

"Alors, comment ça va, Naruto?"

"Uh…" Naruto thought about the thumbs up and thumbs down gestures Shika had done last time. "Mal, I guess."

Shika and Sasuke shared another look before Sasuke jumped in.

"Pourquoi? Est-ce que tu t'es amusé à l'école aujourd'hui?" (Why? Did you have fun today at school?).

"What? All I understood was 'you' and school…" Naruto asked, confused.

"Tu," Sasuke said pointing to Naruto. "…t'es amusé…" he said, suddenly becoming happy and gesturing to his smile. "à l'école… aujourd'hui," he finished, pointing down.

"You… happy… at school… now?" Naruto guessed, feeling a headache already coming.

"Close enough," Shika said. "He's asking why you said "mal" and if you had fun at school today.

"Not really…" Naruto responded, his fingers automatically running along the bruise on his neck.

Shika stood up suddenly, heading for the door. "Sorry, man. I really gotta take a piss."

He left abruptly and closed the door, and Naruto and Sasuke sat in silence for a few seconds.

"You saw Kiba this morning. And he gave you that hickey… am I right?"

Naruto looked up as Sasuke spoke. He took a deep breath before yelling:

"You're damn right I saw him this morning. What? Does everyone know? Is this something he does normally?"

"Uh… he's a pretty…well, he's… like that with a lot of girls. But…you're the first guy he's ever done that to," Sasuke said, already forming a plan to get Naruto on his side.

Naruto shook his head.

"What the hell? Do I look like a girl to him? I met him three days ago, and he assaults me on the rooftop," Naruto yelled.

"On the roof? Why were you on the roof?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto wondered if he was actually allowed up there but answered anyways, hoping Sasuke wouldn't tell on him.

"Uh… It helps me think. I didn't see a sign saying not to so I figured we were allowed…" he replied.

"No, it's fine to go on the roof… just… Kiba hangs out there all the time. I don't think it's the best idea to stay there considering that's his usual spot for skipping classes… and uh… taking girls."

Sasuke moved without warning. He reached over and let his fingers trace the dark, purple bruise on Naruto's neck.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his amethyst eyes, entrancing and smooth, locking onto Naruto's. "Did he… do anything else?"

Naruto felt himself blushing unexplainably even though he was angry just a moment ago. He felt drawn to Sasuke right now. Maybe it was just the weirdness of the day, but even though Sasuke was as close to him as Kiba had been that morning, Naruto felt relaxed.

He closed his eyes and breathed in. Sasuke's hand felt warm against his skin. Strong… hot… soft-

Naruto's eyes snapped open when he felt hot breath and soft lips on his neck. He thought about this morning. Kiba's tongue on his neck, breath in his ear…

Naruto tensed up, ready to knock Sasuke off if he felt something wet on his neck; however, all he felt was a slight pressure from Sasuke's lips, and then, the dark haired boy moved away. Naruto stared at him before reaching up to touch his neck.

"Wha… what was that, Sasuke? Did you just kiss my neck? Why would you…?" he asked, getting up from the table.

"Parce qu'il est un connard," said a voice from behind the two.

Shikamaru had returned, balancing a bag of chips and three drinks in his left arm as he closed the door behind him.

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked, catching one of the Cokes Shika threw at him.

"He said because I'm just worried about you," Sasuke butt in before Shika could explain the real meaning. "From now on, avoid being around Kiba alone. He might be playing a prank… but still… be careful. Come find me if he tries anything else. I'll talk to him about it tomorrow if that's okay with you"

Naruto replied, "Oh… ok. It's fine," and looked off into the game room to his right. He looked down at his homework and then at his watch. It was already five o' clock. Maybe he should just head home.

"You want to play video games after we're done with homework?" Sasuke asked. "You could spend the night…? Shika is staying as well."

Shika looked up from his notebook at Sasuke but said nothing. He pulled out his phone and presumably texted someone.

Naruto thought about it. Iruka would be glad he was making friends. And if he stayed over… he wouldn't have to do chores… or explain what happened today and…

Naruto smelled his clothes…

He could probably get away with wearing them again.

"Haha, don't worry, you're about the same size as me. I bet you could fit into my clothes for tomorrow," Sasuke said, following Naruto's train of thought.

"Oh… uh… ok… lemme just call Iruka and ask," Naruto said, pulling out his phone.

He punched in the number for his house phone and went into the other room to talk.

There was a click and then, hard breathing before Iruka answered the phone.

"_Hello?_"

"Hey, Iruka. It's Naruto. Um… is it okay if I spend the night at a friend's house?"

"_A friend's house? Is it that boy…. Stop it, Kakashi! I'm on the phone! Sorry, Naruto…. Is it that boy, Haku? Or that guy that dropped you off?"_

"Um… neither of them. It's Sasuke, the junior president. He and Shika are helping me with the work I missed from yesterday. And then we were going to play some video games…"

"_Uh… ha… Kakashi… stop. Yeah, Naruto, that's fine. Make sure you're on time tomorrow. We know you were late this morning. We'll talk about it when you get back tomorrow_," Iruka replied.

"Uh… Ok. Can I talk to Kakashi before you go?"

"_Yeah, one sec… Kakashi… Naruto wants to talk to you_."

Naruto heard some rustling and then Kakashi's voice boomed into the phone:

"_What's up, playboy? Heard you're going to spend the night at someone's house? Is he cute?_"

"Kakashi! It's not like that. They're friends from school… I just have a question…for you. But you can't tell Iruka yet…"

There was a pause on the line as Kakashi realized something was wrong. There was more rustling, the sound of footsteps, and a click. Kakashi had gone into the other room.

"_Sure thing,_" he replied. "_Did… something happen today? You left early for school. Is this why you were late?_"

"Yeah… I went on the roof before class, and there was this dude… Kiba… and…he… uh…"

"_Naruto… what did he do? Do I need to kill a little bastard? Did he hurt you? Do your teachers know? What's his last name? I'm gonna find this piece of-_"

"Kakashi!" Naruto yelled. "Chill, you don't need to do anything. He gave me a hickey… I'm fine. It just surprised me. I think he was playing a prank on me cuz I'm the new kid and all…"

"…_a hickey? What the hell kind of prank is that? Naruto, you're too innocent. That's sexual harassment. When I find this bit-"_

"No, no, no, no! No finding him. No beating. Nothing! I can handle this. Besides, I'm friends with the student president. He knows about it, and he's probably gonna deal with Kiba tomorrow."

"…_Fine. But what's the kid's last name?_"

"Kakashi!" Naruto warned.

"_What? What am I going to do with his last name? I just want to know his name…_"

Naruto sighed. "Inuzaka, I think. Don't… do anything stupid, please. Last thing I want at this school is a reputation for overprotective thugs as parents."

"Yeah, I know, Naruto… Call us if you need anything, okay?"

Naruto said goodnight and hung up the phone. He walked back into the room where Shika and Sasuke were diligently working on their history homework.

"Where's the bathroom?" Naruto asked. "I have to pee."

"Down the hall on the left. Can't miss it. Everything is huge in this house," Shika replied, watching Naruto head out the door.

When the door clicked, Sasuke looked over at Shika, grinning ear to ear.

"No, Sasuke. Leave him alone tonight. Besides, you heard him on the phone. He thinks you're his friend. Don't scare him off like Kiba's stupid ass. All of you guys suck for this… You just happen to be the one I hate the least."

Sasuke nodded and actually looked down at his homework for the first time that evening.

"This is going to be so easy," he said, just as Naruto reentered the room.

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*keels over*

The end.

Totally kidding. :)

Promise to update soon. Lol you know what that means.


	8. Curious Incidents

"Iruka… I'm going out for a bit."

"What the hell? Kakashi, it's one in the morning. What could you possibly be doin-"

"Naruto has a hickey."

Iruka shot up from under the covers without another word. He picked up his jeans and jumped as he pulled them up quickly. Kakashi threw a clean shirt and some shoes to him, and the two headed out into the night.

"Is this about why you left the room to talk to him?" Iruka asked. "Are we going to get Naruto?"

Kakashi pulled him close as they walked under the streetlamp. He gently kissed Iruka in the nook of his chocolate brown eye and shook his head.

"No…" he said, "we're going to be overprotective thugs."

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"You can't play a heart until it's broken, Neji."

"I lack any other suit. I'm the one breaking it, stupid."

"You know the rules. Hearts can't be broken on the first trick."

"Wait, Neji's right, Kiba. You already led the first trick. This is the second."

Four boys glowered at each other over the desks they had shoved together hastily. Sasuke, Kiba, Neji, and Haku all looked like idiots. Shika shook his head watching them. Sixth period study was the only class they didn't have with Naruto, and all they did was fight over troublesome matters the whole time like five year olds.

Kiba slammed his cards face down on the table in anger and stood up.

"It's not my fault he wandered up there! Besides I found out something useful, so shut up!" he yelled.

The class was quiet, gawking at the suddenly enraged brunette who broke the silence. The teacher glanced up from his book and raised an eyebrow at him. Kiba's face heated up as he realized how stupid he looked but continued to scowl at his friends from where he was standing. The three boys looked at him in amazement. Shika smothered a chuckle and rolled his eyes. He spotted Lee, Shino, and Gaara watching them knowingly. He wondered lazily if they would get in the way of the game. That would be troublesome…

"Kiba…" Sasuke growled quietly, "We're playing a game. A game of _Hearts_… No one was talking about the bet, so kindly _shut up_ about it."

"Oh…" Kiba responded, sitting back down stupidly. "Well… I figured you all saw _it_, and when I got to school this morning, I found a bunch of hate mail so… I thought you guys were mad because I went overboar-"

"Wait, what?" Haku interrupted. "You got hate mail?"

"…yeah," Kiba responded shakily, "You mean you guys didn't send it?"

For the first time that morning, Shika took a real interest in the four guys' conversation.

"Who else knows about the hickey?" Shika asked. "Naruto slept over at Sasuke's house yesterday, so his parents don't—"

"He did _what_?" Neji, Haku, and Kiba interjected simultaneously.

"Oh, pipe down," Shikamaru replied, rolling his eyes again. "Nothing happened. Although he does have the impression that Kiba is a womanizer and mischievous brat thanks to Sasuke…"

Haku and Sasuke bumped fists across the table and Neji snickered before Shika continued.

"Anyways, it wasn't one of us. So, who sent Kiba hate mail?" Shika said. "…Kiba, do you have the letters on you?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba responded, pulling his backpack over to him with his foot. He unzipped it and threw a bound stack of envelopes in the middle of the four desks. "But I don't recognize the handwriting…"

Each of the boys grabbed a letter and opened it, reading out loud the threats on the page.

"You messed with the wrong dumb blond kid, you overgrown domesticated animal in heat," Sasuke read, staring at the letter humorously.

"You want to be a little player, Inuzuka? Let's play a game of castration," Haku said, his eyebrow going up instantly.

"Touch him again. I dare you. 405 Yukie Drive. Recognize the address? It's… yours," Neji finished hesitantly.

"See?" Kiba said. "He knows my address and my last name and in one of the letters, he mentioned my dog. I figured it had to be one of you. Who else would know that so fast?"

Neji pulled out his phone and punched in a number, facing Sasuke to pretend he wasn't totally calling someone in the middle of class

"Yes, this is Neji Hyuuga from the main family. I need someone at the school to pick up a letter and run the prints on it."

"Yeah, I think you should get someone to do that after school, too," Sasuke responded, awkwardly pretending Neij had been speaking to him.

"Pick it up from the front office in fifteen. Yeah. Mhmm. No, it's for Kiba… yeah, I know. Okay. Thanks. Wait! Run the name 'Naruto Uzumaki' through our data bank. Yeah. All right. Bye," Neji said, hanging up the phone.

"Why are you running Naruto's name through the system?" Shika asked.

"Just… in case we're messing with the wrong guy for real," Neji said, shaking his head.

"I'm not scared," Kiba declared. "But I think it's time to up the ante. $600 was the last change? How about $1,000? Each guy gives $250."

Shika shook his head and stood up, watching as the other four put their hands together in agreement.

"Idiots," he said, opening the door to leave just as the bell rang for seventh period.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-…. -.-…-.o….o.0….0.0….O.0?.../( 0.0)/…. /( 0.0 )/….-.-.-.-

Every muscle in his body was on fire. Naruto's breath came in shallow gasps, and sweat rolled down his bare chest incessantly. It hurt just to breathe.

_Clank._

Naruto looked in fear at the man before him when he heard the metallic clink.

"No more, sensei!" he panted. All his energy seemed to seep out with his sweat. "My body can't take it."

"You let them touch," he replied. "You'll never learn if I don't use punishment."

They'd been going for only half an hour but even that felt too long. His lungs burned with every gulp for air and his body was way past exhaustion.

The man reached around him quietly and added more weight to the machine. Naruto's arm shook at the sudden increase of force and let go of the handlebar altogether.

Metal plates crashed down on each other, and the whole gym echoed in response. Naruto collapsed to the floor, breathing hard.

"Come on…" he gasped. "Kakashi's overreacting, Guy-sensei. Let me get a break."

Guy stared down at the blond boy heaving on the floor. He squatted down and threw a towel on top of Naruto's head.

"It's going to be hard at first, but I have to do this, Naruto," he said, patting the boy's sweaty head. "Kakashi and I go way back. He told me about that accident on the roof… Maybe he is overreacting, but considering what happened last time, I think he should. I don't know what's up with those boys, but something's going on. You need to watch yourself now."

He stood up and watched as Naruto slowly rolled onto his back to look up at him. Naruto reached out with one arm and Guy-sensei helped him up. Naruto grabbed Guy to balance himself as he stood, probably dizzy from trying to stand too fast. Sweat was still rolling down his body.

"Amazing…" Guy started. "If Kakashi hadn't told me himself… I'd never have known both your arms were broken two months ago."

Blue eyes glared at him under blond spikes.

"I get that Kakashi wants me to go through the strength training to avoid another incident. I'll go along with. Hell, I should be the one all for it. But do me a favor, sensei," he growled, "Don't fucking mention that again."

Naruto scooped up the towel from the floor and angrily walked down the stairs to the first level of the gym. He had to take a shower before seventh period….

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Monsieur Uzumaki, ça va?" (Mr. Uzumaki, how is everything ?)

"Ça va bien, Mme. Tsunade. Et vous?" (It's going well, Mrs. Tsunade. And you?)

"Comme-ci, comme-ça. Quoi de neuf ?" (So-so. What's new?)

"Rien de spécial." (Nothing special.)

"Tu parles mieux français, Naruto. Tu rattraperas en peu de temps !" (You're speaking French better, Naruto. You'll catch up in no time.)

"Merci, Mme. Mes tutrices m'aident. Aussi, M. Sasuke et M. Shika m'aident. J'espère que je rattraperai vite." (Thank you, ma'am. My guardians are helping me. And Sasuke and Shika. I hope I can catch up quickly.)

"Bon!" Tsunade said, clasping her hands together just as the minute bell rang. She patted Naruto on the back and pointed to his seat. "Assieds-toi maintenant et commençons-nous la classe." (Sit down now, and let's begin class.)

Naruto took his seat near Shika and nodded to the amazed boy.

"When did your French get that good, Naruto?"

The blond shrugged his shoulders lazily and brushed off Shika's question. He rested his head in his arm and stared up at the teacher. She turned off the lights and the filtered light from the projector could be seen well in the semidarkness. Naruto watched the PowerPoint presentation on avoir idioms through a daze, still thinking about what Guy-sensei had said back at the gym.

His eyes scanned the room idly as he pushed the memories out of his mind. Mentally, he tried to remember everyone's name and what they looked like. He recognized the pink hair as Sakura from the first day, and the long blond haired girl next to her was her best friend, Ino. Naruto watched as the blond girl passed a note to Sakura before looking at the next person.

Short black hair and opaque eyes. Eyes that were like… pearls, maybe? Naruto knew those eyes were familiar, and it only took him a second to realize who else had similar eyes. She had to be Neji's sister. Wait, he didn't have a sister… Maybe she was a cousin. She was diligently taking notes as Tsunade talked. She must have felt Naruto watching her because she looked over at him and blushed, turning back to the PowerPoint quickly.

Naruto scratched his face sluggishly.

'_She's kinda cute like that…'_ he thought.

Next to her, a girl with brown buns in her hair was also taking notes. Ten-ten. He knew her because she was always hanging around Neji. She probably liked him. He wondered if Neji knew…

Blood red hair and piercing green eyes caught his attention next. His pale skin contrasted against the dark rings around his eyes and the black character on his face. He didn't blink the whole time Naruto was watching him.

'_Bara…. Grara?...No…_' Naruto thought, still staring at the boy. He sighed heavily and racked his brain for the name. Suddenly, his eye began to sting as if something had gotten in it, and he rubbed it, annoyed. His eyes began to water and whatever was in his eye seemed to have gone away. He ground his teeth slightly in displeasure only to feel something like grit crunch between them.

Naruto's nose curled in disgust as he quietly scraped whatever it was out of his mouth when no one was looking. Small particles of what looked like wet sand were on his finger.

"What the hell?" he whispered quietly, looking up to see if anyone had noticed him.

When Naruto looked back down, the sand was gone as well as the feeling in his mouth. He swallowed slowly, but all of it was gone. He shook his head and tried to brush it off as being tired from the workout.

He put his head back down on the table. Naruto glanced at the bell. Five minutes left in class. He went back to looking at the other students only to nearly jump out of his seat.

Green eyes were watching him in the dark. He saw a flash of white teeth and felt the hairs on his neck stand up. The boy was leering at him in the darkness, green eyes and white teeth smiling at him chillingly from across the room.

Naruto gripped his desk slightly and took a shaky breath. He closed his eyes and opened them just as the teacher flicked the lights back on.

The class groaned in unison at the sudden change in brightness of the room, but Naruto waited for his eyes to adjust as he stared at the red haired boy.

'Gaara…' he thought, finally remember the red head's name as he stared at the top of his head. Gaara was looking down at his notes. When he looked up and saw Naruto staring, he tilted his head in confusion and nodded his head in greeting. The bell rang, and Naruto watched as Gaara packed up his stuff and left. The boy didn't do anything else strange. If anything, he looked uncomfortable about Naruto staring at him.

"Naruto, you all right?" Shika asked from beside him.

"Yeah..." Naruto said hesitantly, slowly picking up his bag from the floor before standing.

"What are you doing today after school?" Shika asked as Sasuke walked over to them.

"Uh… nothing really. I gotta go home though. Got chores to do. Besides, Kakashi doesn't want me out every day after school with people they don't know," Naruto said, slinging one backpack strap around his shoulder.

"Well…" Sasuke said, "We could help."

Shika raised an eyebrow and shook his head behind Naruto.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"The guys wouldn't mind. Besides, you'd get your work done quicker with all of us helping and your par…guardians," Sasuke corrected, remembering what Naruto had said, "could meet us. It's a win-win situation."

Naruto looked at Sasuke a bit skeptically, wondering if it really would be a "win-win" situation after Kakashi meets Kiba.

"I'll ask if you guys can come over," he responded, pulling out his cellphone.

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:p


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